Current events in the words of the students of Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT Kharagpur

VGSoM Human Rights

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events and/ or publicly available information. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”. These are the words etched on the Statue of Liberty. These words are now deprived of their honour, thanks to the stringent immigrant control program in the United States. What an irony…

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. Of all the lives I seeped through, the one in the “Secret Annexe” left the most indelible mark. It was the hiding place of Anne Frank, a spirited young girl whose promise was cut short by the horrors of Second World War. “The Diary of a Young Girl” is a powerful testament to the savageries of war and the human spirit. When the pages on the right side slimmed down, I was losing a loyal friend and the agony was at its zenith.

11 years ago, in US, a volunteer was going through some files related to visa-pleas during the Second World War, the worst period in the world history. Of all the countless names, one hit him real hard. It was an Otto Frank. “U.S.A. is the only country we could go to,” he wrote. “It is for the sake of the children mainly.” The application did not go through. My friend, Otto Frank’s daughter, would have been 87 years old if that application had not remained in the red tape. She would have lived to tell about the ghastly war herself if the US did something different.

Trump regime has now gone for a blanket ban on immigration from 7 countries, including the war-torn Syria. It’s the image of Aylan Kurdi that is coming to my mind. People are desperately trying to cross the Mediterranean, thinking, the grass might be greener somewhere else. So hapless that mothers are ready to travel in overcrowded boats with their children. And everywhere, they are an unwelcome lot. Europe fought among themselves. People lambasted Angela Merkel. And now, the last nail in the coffin is from the US. When the world was trying to become a global village, some are trying to build walls. Remember what the Berlin wall did? Conservatism is getting buff again. US became what it is today from the hard works of a lot of people, immigrants included. Steve Jobs’ father was a Syrian refugee. Forgetting the roots will not augur well for anyone. Let us hope that the Mogul’s (Secret service code name for Donald Trump) stances are declared unconstitutional by the courts, who should be the bulwarks against Government abuses of power. Let the walls be broken. Integrate them in the society. Help them grow and grow with them.

“I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart”. These were the words of Anne Frank. Let us be optimistic and let us pray for respect for the words written on the Statue of Liberty.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events and/ or publicly available information. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

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Donald Trump has banned immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa. The new US President has imposed a controversial 90-day ban on travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. But on the contrary, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is extending a warm welcome, irrespective of cast creed or race.

Justin Trudeau has a message to all refugees and immigrants. “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith”-the Canadian president tweeted.The refugee protection program of Canada is indeed a great example that all countries can follow. It has two main parts: The Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program, for people seeking protection from outside Canada and the In-Canada Asylum Program for people making refugee protection claims from within Canada. Apart from this, the Canadian government also helps in the successful integration of all refugees.
Since 2015, Canadians have welcomed nearly 40000 refugees and they are expecting an increase in the inflow of refugees in 2017.Th is move is not only on humanitarian consideration but also aimed at higher economic growth through the contribution of refugees to the nation’s development. However, without any doubt, we can say that this great gesture by the Canadians towards the refugees is the truest exemplification of the idea, “Atithi Devo Bhava.”

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events and/ or publicly available information. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

US president, Donald Trump has recently signed an executive order banning refugees from six countries from 120 days. Ban on Syrian refugees is for indefinite time period. It is not important whether these six countries are Muslim countries or not, it is the question of humanity.

United State of America has always been the favorite destination for immigrants from all over the world. On that context, decision by US President has questioned the existence of all the immigrants in US. Currently, US immigrant population stood at more than 42.4 million or 13.3 percent of the total US population. So, if US continues with this BAN on these seven countries and even adds more countries in the list in future, it will definitely affect US economy. All the famous US universities offer higher education to the students from all over the world. If this ban continues, the diversification, the unique feature of these universities, will not be there. Not only in the education sector, in the work force also the immigrants play a major role to control the economy.

Mr. Donald Trump defended himself as he wants to erase terrorism from US. But does terrorism belong to any country? The children from these countries could have studied in any of the US universities and could even play a major role to progress US economy. Those children are not at all part of the terrorism, so why they are paying off? Terrorism is a disease that can’t be stopped in this way. Education, economic development can be a remedy of this problem, not a ban on any immigrants will solve it.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events and/ or publicly available information. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

A 10 year old is appreciated for her thundering recital of “Khoob larhi mardani wo ” but is shushed when she whispers about how the school bus driver stares at her or how her uncle inappropriately touches her. The girl who fell prey to eve-teasing is asked not to look back at the driver and not to sit in her uncle’s lap. The rape victim is told that her dress was at fault and that the word ‘Marital Rape’ is a mere brainchild of the feminists.

Be it the molestation of women in Bangalore on the New Year’s Eve or the assault of hundreds of girls by a Delhi based tailor, the new year has just brought bad news. It is time to shush the minister this time who said “boys will be boys” and tell him that the focus should not be on the nature of men but on how to nurture them. Sexual harassment is closely related to sensitive issues such as pregnancy, youth, disability, violence at home, poverty and caste. All these issues need to be addressed to put an end to the crimes against women. A khap that ordered the rape of two sisters as revenge for their brother’s elopement needs to dissolved, the minister who blames ‘skin show’ for the molestation of women needs to be sacked and the stereotypes of sexual subservience need to be broken. Reporting of such crimes, raising non-violent kids and an open discussion on sexuality is the first step forward. In a world where a man who openly makes lewd remarks on women is elected as the US president and a world where women are considered as war-loot, it is a lot to ask for but rights are never granted, they have to be fought for.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events and/ or publicly available information. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

What happened in Bengaluru on this New Year’s Eve celebration is not something new. A similar incident had happened in Mumbai in 2008 which had ignited a huge backlash from the media and public. But how much have we learnt from these incidents is something we need to ask ourselves. It is common these days to come across news of women being groped or molested in public or being raped in a moving van in daylight. As if these incidents themselves are not enough to make us feel ashamed of ourselves the comments made by those in power forces us to ponder if we are truly living in a civilized society.

The worst part is people making such comments do not come from one single political party but almost each one of them have members who hold similar views and it gives an impression that they are trying to justify these incidents by questioning what is acceptable when it comes to what a woman should or should not wear and when and where she is allowed to go. It only adds fuel to those sick minds who have somehow been born and brought up in a culture which makes them feel they are superior to women and that they have every right to do whatever they feel is justified when it comes to ensure that their version of Indian culture remains preserved. As long as we have these people who can voice such opinions openly in media these incidents will continue to happen.

Truth is that it is not what someone is wearing or what time she is going out of her house or who she is going out with is the cause of these incidents but it is the audacity of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes who think they can do something and get away with it because someone is power shares similar views as them. One of the accused in Nirbhaya incident had said in an interview that they were teaching her a lesson because she was roaming around at night. Perhaps, someone needs to teach them that the Indian culture has always been one where the women have been given utmost respect and they have every right to live in a manner they decide to choose. And it is only when those with large audience act responsibly and openly condemn these incidents and not try and justify it and back it with laws which would ensure people are unable to get away with such crimes that we can expect these incidents to stop.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events and/ or publicly available information. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

The date 16 December 2016 went down in the annals of India as one of the landmarks in the disability rights movement. The Rights of Persons with Disability Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha after years of activism, debates and discussions. The World Bank suggests that this would positively impact around 6.4 percent of the population or about 80 million persons a figure so mammoth that it draws instant attention by its sheer magnitude. The bill provides for imprisonment of at least six months up to two years, along with a fine ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 5 lakh for discriminating against persons with disabilities. Come January, the Union home ministry issued guidelines on how people with disabilities can show respect when the national anthem is being played in cinemas and public places, mentioning they should not move and position themselves “maintaining the maximum possible alertness physically”

A question arises. After the highest court of law, the Supreme Court had exempted differently abled persons to stand up for the national anthem, why the government went ahead and issued such senseless, regressive and humiliating guidelines, without any requirement per se? Media is full of examples how much we lack in compassion and sensitivity to deal with unfortunates. People with disabilities are assaulted on a regular basis in movie halls public gatherings for not being able to stand up for the national anthem or the national flag. This incidents create a temporary uproar and discussions are made around how enforcing “standing up” for the national anthem can work against people with disabilities who may not be able to do so because of the nature of the disability. But sadly, they fizzle out soon.

Lawyers across the country are equivocal in claiming that the language of these guidelines is completely offensive and shows disrespect and disregard for so many different conditions/disabilities that people may have. Further, it would only instill unnecessary fear and stress in people with disabilities and their families alike who want to go out and enjoy a movie, whether action is taken or not. When basic infrastructure and public spaces are inaccessible to persons with disabilities leading to severe restrictions on a person’s movement in and out of their homes this comes as a serious blow to the people already suffering in silence. As numerous serious issues cries for attention across the country, our government remains completely apathetic towards those and is doing all that is possible to lose its credibility.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events and/ or publicly available information. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

Jallikattu is a bull taming sport in Tamil Nadu which is banned by the Supreme Court. The sport is not only a folk sport but it has spawned an economy of its own in the rural parts of the state and its ban carries many economic implications.

In the rural parts of Tamil Nadu, bull rearing in itself is a business for many poor farmers. They buy bull calf for Rs 15000 and raise him to make him strong. Feeding and maintaining him nearly cost Rs 300 per day. The calf matures in two to three years and further farmer make him to perform in Jallikattu through which he earns or he could even sell the bull and raise around 2-3 Lakhs rupees.Now after the ban by the Supreme court these poor farmers were the first to get disrupted. The bull which used to sell for around 2-3 Lakhs rupees could not raise more than 20-30 thousand. On the similar lines the whole market which used to exist to support bull rearing will get affected. In many districts Jallikattu used to be an economic activity which could range upto 50 Lakhs of revenue. These events use to draw thousands of visitors. They generate lot of consumption around them which is a significant chunk for poor living in rural districts.

In a longer run, the ban can have an affect in the milk economy as well. There use to a thriving business involved with semen of healthy bulls of Tamil Nadu. Now there wont be any incentive for the farmers rear the bulls and bear the cost. This might cause dependency on the foreign breeds of bulls which have criticism of less cost effective solution in long run since the foreign breeds are more vulnerable to viruses and diseases and requires more maintenance.

In a larger economic perspective Jallikattu supports many rural economy of Tamil Nadu. In future, there might need for native breeds of bulls for their semen. If native breeds are preserved, as Jallikattu does, it can lead to new economic future of dairy business.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events and/ or publicly available information. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

Mithun K, MBA 2016-18,Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT Kharagpur

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On January 10, 2017, the honorable Supreme Court of India gave Kerala three months’ time to disburse Rs 500 crore as compensation for over 5,000 persons who suffered from various deformities, health complications and lost family members after using Endosulfan pesticides in the state.

The author comes from the border region of Kannur and Kasargod districts in north Kerala. Kasargod, a sleepy,scenic, but sweltering hot district in north Kerala is famous for its art forms like “theyyam” and its rich heritage and historical importance. The humans nick named the place “The Land of Gods”. But even the Gods could not prevent the humans from committing a tragedy that will melt your eyes, a tragedy whose scenes will haunt you for ever, a tragedy which made a lot of mothers to bury their children. The villain is a chemical, christened Endosulfan. True to its name, it brought an abrupt end to more than 4000 lives in Kasargod, maimed a lot more. 70-80% of the affected people stumbled on this chemical and lost their mobility. There is hardly any treatment for this.

Cashew plantations in Kasargod were aerially sprayed with Endosulfan from the late 1970s. By the time the public pinpointed the villain, 30 years had passed. The spraying was done thrice a year, aerially, for almost one third of a century. It had permeated deep into the environment. The poor souls absorbed it through air, water and touch and thus the chemical began a battle, against their genetic system. Loss of memory, epilepsy, depression and skin disorders were reported. When cancer, the emperor of all maladies, attacks, it puts a hole even in a middle class family’s wallet. And it struck, not the middle class, but the poor huddled masses in these hamlets.

Classified as a yellow label (highly toxic) pesticide, India was one of the largest producers as well as consumers of Endosulfan in the world. And it took more than 10 years of legal struggles and studies before the honorable Supreme Court banned the production, use and sale of Endosulfan in India. Since the genetic system is affected, their progeny may suffer too. Their plight cannot be overstated.

The court order is surely a thaw in their battle; they will get some monetary compensation, but an entire generation was ruined by the greed and negligence of a few. Kerala is implored to set up a center for disbursing the money and for providing lifelong medical treatment to them. Please don’t waste any more time on this. Please build the centre in Kasargod itself and not in the administrative capital of Trivandrum or in the tech savvy Cochin.

It is a common sight to behold people agitating and marching for their demands in front of the Secretariat in Trivandrum, Kerala. People from all over Kerala. The author once stumbled on a group whose image is indelible; they were the Endosulfan victims from Kasargod, begging for mercy. Pleading. They were not demands. They did not speak about rights. Oh God, where are thou?

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

“The God does not discriminate between men and women, so why should there be gender discrimination in the premises of the temple.” Even though our country got freedom in 1947 the pre-independence culture is not completely washed-out from our democratic system. Few funny facts about our culture that we worship mother, sister, goddess durga and her all other forms but out saintly divide our gods and their power with gender discrimination. No one is ready to take stand against such discrimination and dominance behavior of the society. I, firmly believe unless we do not stop treating women as second grade citizens, India as a country will never grow and develop.

Most of the holy places are run and managed by the trustees or governing bodies and they are exercising their power as if they are “extra constitutional authorities”. These people apply their own logic under religious belief. It is time to reform our traditions. We successfully abolished the practice of sati-pratha and baal-vivaah, it is high time to change this outdated tradition also.

In a country with many patriarchal societies, women have largely accepted these rules, regardless of religion. Other side of story also says these bans, you could argue, deny women the right to publicly practice their faith. That doesn’t stack up well with the constitution, which says that Indians have the right to declare their faith openly, and have the right to perform the duties, rites and rituals prescribed by their religion – even if they have different rules for women. Women have over the centuries complied with these customs, and there is no doubt that there are women who comply either because they want to or because they don’t have any objection. The point is that they have a choice, even if not every woman realizes this.

Our Supreme Court is taking few positive steps but that won’t be enough for a country like ours. We need to join hands and make a cumulative change towards the brighter future. Lets bring justice for our sisters, daughters, soulmates and mothers.

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

The Bombay High Court had directed the BCCI to move all IPL matches scheduled post 30th April out of Maharashtra. The decision was granted on hearing a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed by The Lok Satta movement and the Foundation for Democratic Reforms.

The state of Maharashtra is facing a severe and acute water shortage. In most parts of the state, rationing of water has been ordered while the Latur district in Marathwada region is hardest hit. The PIL was filed in this context. The petitioners argued that when the citizens are facing difficulties in obtaining water for drinking and other day-to-day activities, shifting IPL will save a large amount of water which would otherwise be spent on maintenance of cricket grounds. As per an estimate, around 6 million litres of water will be used during IPL 2016.

However, this incident needs a deeper analysis as Maharashtra particularly Marathwada faces drought more frequently than rest of Maharashtra. Marathwada is predominantly sugar cane growing area. The state is the second largest producer of sugarcane in the country after Uttar Pradesh. It is also the largest producer of sugar, which is a byproduct of sugarcane.

The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) points out in its report “Price Policy for Sugarcane-2015-16 Sugar Season” mentions that Maharashtra consumes around 2100 litres of water to produce a kilogram of sugar which is 1300-1400 litres of water over and above what Bihar requires (800 litres). A basic calculation implies that to produce a tonne of sugar ( 1 tonne = 1000 kilograms) Maharashtra needs 2.1 Million of water as compared to 0.8 million by Bihar i.e. 1.3 Million litres more. Effectively IPL just uses the water required to produce 2.86 ton of sugar (6/2.1). This is miniscule considering the sugar production by the state.

The point highlighted is the state authorities should guide and provide the required assistance to sugarcane growers to adopt more water friendly ways such as drip irrigation, improved variety of seeds etc. so that overall water consumption to produce sugarcane and sugar come down. Even if the water consumption goes down by 20% ( ideally by 62% as Bihar is doing the same), the state could easily provide water to all its citizens and can hold IPL as well.